Kutter

Crawford

This will be the first time that Crawford has faced live hitters since September 2024. In the intervening months, Crawford has undergone knee and wrist surgery but is allegedly now fully healthy entering spring training. The 29-year-old pitched to a 3.00 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 112/31 K/BB ratio in 114 innings in the first half of 2024 before the knee injury and fatigue started to impact his performance. Crawford is battling for the fifth spot in the rotation, but he does have two minor league options remaining, while Patrick Sandoval has none.

Tolle served up a two-out homer to Royce Lewis in the opening frame before responding with a flawless second inning to close out a strong spring debut. The 23-year-old top pitching prospect averaged a crisp 96.5 mph on his fastball in this one. He’s technically in the mix for the final spot in Boston’s season-opening rotation, but that spot seems likely to go to a veteran arm like Johan Oviedo or Kutter Crawford. Tolle offers enough strikeout potential that he should remain on fantasy manager’s radar screens as an in-season pickup.

The 29-year-old right-hander entered spring training fully healthy after missing the entirety of the 2025 season with knee and wrist injuries. The Red Sox are still taking a cautious approach and bringing him along slowly though. Crawford is expected to function in a swingman role for the Red Sox to open the 2026 season.

Crawford added that he’s fully healthy entering spring training after missing last season with knee and wrist issues that ultimately required a mid-summer procedure on his wrist. The 29-year-old figures to transition to a versatile swingman role, likely operating in long relief for the Red Sox next season, but he could be in the mix for one of their final rotation spots along with veterans Johan Oviedo and Patrick Sandoval in addition to top prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle.

This is the same salary that Crawford made in 2025 despite missing the entire season with knee and wrist injuries. The 29-year-old was valuable for the Red Sox in the first half of the 2024 season before fatigue and injuries led to a performance dip. He has experience as both a starting pitcher and a multi-inning reliever, so there’s a good chance he returns to being a key contributor for the Red Sox in 2026.

The procedure involved reconstruction of the stabilizing sheath of the extensor carpi ulnaris in his right wrist. There isn’t an official return timeline from the Red Sox at the moment, but Crawford has plenty of time to be ready for next spring. He wound up missing the entire 2025 campaign due to knee and wrist issues.

That operation will likely cost Crawford the remainder of the 2025 season, according to Cora. The right-hander also dealt with a knee issue earlier in the campaign, but it’s the wrist operation that will all but assuredly cost him the remainder of this year. Crawford will battle for a starting gig in 2026, assuming he’s ready to roll when that season begins.

Crawford is set to undergo further tests after experiencing more wrist issues. The 29-year-old has been on the shelf since spring training and doesn’t appear close at all to making it back to Boston’s pitching mix following this latest setback.

Crawford, 29, has dealt with knee and wrist issues, but it’s the latter that’s given him the most trouble as of late. The right-hander will likely need to throw several bullpens before going on a rehab assignment, and then could be an option for Boston near/after the All-Star break.

Crawford is now back to just playing catch after his wrist didn’t respond well to increasing intensity with bullpens. The right-hander is also coming back from a knee injury as well. There is no timeline for his return at this point.